Aligning device for signal lanterns



Oct. 21, 1930. HANDLAN 1,778,717

ALIGNING DEVICE FOR SIGNAL LANTERNS Filed Aug. 18, 1924 I luvs/v TOR ,4. H HANDLAN A rrok/vzvs Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES.

ALEXANDER H. HANDLAN, OF LOUIS, ItIISSOUBI ALIGNING DEVICE FOR SIGNAL LANTERNS Application filed Aug-11st 18, 1924. Serial No. 732,712.

This invention relates to an aligning device for signal lanterns, and more specifically to a device which may be associated with a signal lantern of the type used on railroads :11 whereby said signal lantern may be carefully and accurately focused.

.In the operation of railroad trains itis highly essential that signal lanterns be provided which are very accurately focused.

1 The signal lanterns which are used on railroads at thepresent time are quite frequently supported on suitable standards, or poles, and are so arranged that they may be adjusted relative to the element by which they are supported so that said signal lanterns may be maintained in proper focus. v

The signal lanterns employed onrailroads usually each comprise a fixed portion and a movable.portion,said movable vportion being secured tosaid fixed portion by means of a plurality of rather lheavy clamping bolts, which are ,unscrewed to permit said movable portion to be adjusted and then tightened to retain themovable portion initsproper positionafter said movable portion has been properly focused.

Itwas found prior to this invention that when a signallantern was adjusted so that it was in proper focus and an attempt was 39 made to tighten the clamping bolts by which the movableportion of the lantern was retained in its adjusted position, there was a tendency to. disturb the adjustment of said movable portion of the lantern. Thiswas so because rather large tools were required to manipulate the clamping bolts, and when the operator exerted pressure enough on the boltsto tighten them to theproper degree he quite frequently unintentional-1y moved the movable portion of the lantern a sufiicient amounttodisturb the adjustment of said lantern.

WVith the foregoing in mind, Ihave devised a simple andinexpensive attachment which maybe associated with a signal lantern while it isbeing focused, said attachment being so arranged: that it will grip the movable portion of the lanterntemporarily after said movable portion has been adjusted and while theclamping bolts are being tightened. The

attachment mentioned is only ,usedtemporarily,;it being associated withethelantern only while the same is being focusedand being removed therefrom. after the clamping bolts, which permanently holdthe vmovable portion of the lantern in a fixedposition, have been tightened. By the useof-the aligning device disclosed herein, the movableportion of a signal lanternimay be'adjustedi'to properly focus same, after which said aligning device may be caused to grip said movable portion of said lantern. The clampinglbolts may then be tightened without any. danger that the adjustment of the movable :portion of the lantern will be. disturbed.

With the foregoing. and other-.objects-in View, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferredernbodiment of the invention. However itistobe understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations .and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. Iiis a front elevation of .arbatteryof signal lanterns supported by a standard, my improved ialigning device being associated with the,lowermostsignalwlanterns of said battery.

FignII is aside elevation of the? lowermost lantern of the 'battery of lanterns. shown in Fig. L withthe aligning device associated therewith.

:Fig.:III is a section-on lineIIIeIII; FigJI.

In the drawings, A .designates-astandard which may be supported in any convenient manner. Arranged on the standardA is a plurality ofhorizontal bars B, there' being one of the horizontal-bars B foreach individual signal lantern supported by the standard A. The. horizontal bars BImay be cattached to thestandard A in any convenient manner, the modeof attachment shown in the drawing comprising-a plurality of heads (Leach of which is provided with .a curved face :6, the curvature of which corresponds to the curvature of the outside. face of the standard A. Associated with-each of the heads C and adapted to embrace the standard A is a U- bolt D, the ends of said U-bolt being extended through openings in the associated head C and being provided with nuts E which are screwed on the threaded ends of the U-bolt D. It is apparent from the foregoing that when the heads C are arranged adjacent to the standard A, as shown in Fig. 1H, and the U-bolts are associated with said heads as illustrated in the view mentioned, said heads C would be very securely attached to the standard A. The heads C are each provided with an outwardly extending tubular portion F, and the inner ends of the horizontal bars B are inserted into said tubular portion, there being set screws G provided which are adapted to grip the ends of said horizontal bars within said tubular POTJlODS. The foregoing is only one manner of attaching the horizontal bars B to the standard A, it being apparent, as already suggested, that other arrangements may be used, but as the manner of attaching the horizontal bars B to the standard A forms no part of the present invention, it will not be described further.

Suspended from the horizontal bars B is a plurality of signal lanterns H. The signal lanters H may be of any suitable type, the lanters shm 'n in the drawing being the type commonly used on railroads and each comprising a housing J within which is located the usual light-producing element K, such as an electric light bulb, a hood L, and a lens M. The signal lanters H illustrated in the drawing are each provided with a vertical plate N which extends outwardly beyond the side face of the housing of the lantern and forms a fixed part of said lantern housing. Formed integrally with the plate N of each lantern and located. at the upper edge of said plate is a disk P.

Associated with each individual signal lantern H is a suspension device Q, which comprises a tubular portion R and a disk portion S. The openings through the tubular portions R of the suspension devices Q, are approximately the same diameter as the horizontal bars B, and these horizontal bars B are extended through said tubular portions in a manner to cause said suspension devices to be supported by said horizontal bars. The disk portions S of the suspension devices are each provided with a pair of arcuate slots T, as shown in Fig. III, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth. lVhen the signal lanterns H are connected to the suspension devices Q the disk P and the disk portion S of an associated lantern and suspension device are arranged adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig. I. Clamping bolts U are then passed through the arcuate slots T and into internally threaded openings in the disk P, whereby said suspension device and said lantern are secured together. Clamping bolts are also passed through internally threaded openings in the walls of the tubular portions R of the suspension devices, and said clamping bolts are screwed inwardly so that the inner ends thereof bear firmly against the horizontal bars B, whereby said suspension devices are prevented from rotating about or moving longitudinally of the horizontal bars B. lVhen it is desired to focus one of the lanterns shown in the drawing, the operator will first unscrew the clamping bolts TV. He will then sight through the tube X associated with the signal lantern being focused, and, by swinging the lantern body in an arc of a circle about the horizontal bar B from which itis suspended, will cause the electric light bulb within the lantern housing to move in a vertical line. lVhen the proper vertical focus of the lantern has been attained, the clamping bolts W are tightened to retain the lantern in the position to which it has been adjusted. The clamping bolts U are then unscrew ad and the lantern housing H is moved about a vertical axis which extends through the centers of the disks P and S. During the last mentioned movement the clamping bolts U will travel through the arcuate slots T and the electric light bulb in the lantern housing will move in a horizontal line. Vi hen the movement just described results in the proper focalization of the lantern, the clamping bolts U are tightened to retain said lantern in its adjusted position.

As already explained, the tightening of the clamping bolts U and 7V often results in the accidental movement of the movable portion of the lantern housing after it has been properly adjusted, whereby the focalization of the lantern is destroyed, and to prevent this accidental movement I employ my improved aligning device, which will now be described.

My improved aligning device comprises a member having a tubular portion 2 from which is extended in a downward direction a pair of integral legs 3, said legs being each provided with a strengthening rib 3 to provide same with the required rigidity. Adj acent to its lower end each of the legs 3 is provided with an internally threaded opening through which is extended a clamping screw l, said clamping screws being each provided with a hand wheel to facilitate rotation thereof. hen it is in use, my improved aligning device is arranged on the end portion of the horizontal bar B associated with the signal lantern being focused, the opening through the tubular portion :2 of

the aligning device being approximately the same diameter as said bar. A setscrew 5, which passes through an internally threaded opening in the wall of the tubular portion of the aligning device, is caused to bear firmly against the horizontal bar B on which the aligning device is mounted, whereby said aligning device may not move relative to said bar. The clamping screws 4 of the aligning device are then unscrewed so as to cause the inner ends thereof move away from the plate N of the associated lantern. With the parts in the positions described, the clamping bolts of the suspension device may be unscrewed and the signal lantern housing moved in an arc of a circle about the hori-, zontal bar B by which said lantern housing is supported to obtain the proper vertical adjustment of the signal lantern. When the signal lantern has been properly adjusted in a vertical direction, the clamping screws 4: of the aligning device are screwed inwardly to cause the inner ends thereof to contact firmly with the plate N, and because said plate N is tightly gripped between the oppositely disposed clamping screws 4 the entire movable portion of the lantern will be held immovable while the clamping bolts WV are tightened. After the bolts Vii have been tightened as described, the clamping screws t of the aligning device are moved away from the plate N and the clamping bolts U are unscrewed to permit the lantern housing to be adjusted in a horizontal direction. When the lantern housing has been properly adj usted in a horizontal direction the clamping screws 4 of the aligning device are again moved into contact with the plate N to hold the lantern housing immovable while the bolts U are tightened.

It will be noted that each signal lantern is not provided with an aligning device, but a single aligning device is carried from lantern to lantern by the operator and is slipped on the end of the bar B when it is desired to focus a lantern.

If desired, the adjustment of the movable portion of a lantern housing may be obtained by manipulating the clamping screws 4 of the aligning device after the clamping bolts U and have been unscrewed. When this is done the clamping screws 4 are caused to grip the plate N, as already described, after the lantern housing has been adjusted and while the bolts U and W are being tightened.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a supporting member, a plurality of adjustable lamp carrying members mounted on the support, and an aligning device carried directly by the support for cooperation with the adjustable members in fixing the lamp in a desired position of adjustment, said aligning device including oppositely adjustable elements adapted to engage a portion of the lamp, and supports for said adjustable elements disposed adjacent to opposite faces of said portion of the lamp.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, an elongated support, adjustable lamp carrying means mounted on the support for rotary and longitudinal adjustment relatively to the sup port and aligning means also carried by the support for use in holding a lamp temporarily in a desired position of adjustment While the lamp carrying means are being adjusted to maintain the lamp permanently in a desired position of adjustment, said aligning means including oppositely disposed elements adapted to engage a portion of the lamp, and a support for said adjustable elements portions of which are disposed adjacent to opposite faces of said portion of the lamp.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a supporting arm, a plu'ality of lamp carrying'members mounted on the arm for adjustment relatively to each other and to the arm, and an aligndevice also carried by the arm for adjustment relatively thereto, said aligning device comprising a plurality of members adapted to engage at spaced points a lamp carried by the carrying members.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER H. HANDLAN. 

